Effective teaching and learning: reading

This report investigates teaching and learning practices applied to reading in the United Kingdom. The research project began in July 2003 and was completed in March 2006, collating information on 500 learners in each study. Researchers interviewed learners and teachers, observed teaching methods, and correlated these strategies with any changes in learning. Learners' achievements and perspectives were evaluated twice during their participation in the project. Main findings are: learning is more effective in partnership or groups; women are slightly more successful than men; workers are better learners than unemployed people; and people with a further education/National Vocational Qualifications (FE/NVQ) qualification make better progress than those with no qualifications. Age, ethnicity, English as first or additional language, age of leaving full-time education, time since last course and having dyslexia or pre-test scores in reading are not factors that impact upon progress. Recommendations are made about reading, teacher training and continuing education, diversity in learning communities and ideas for further research, for example, phonics teaching in adult literacy and its effectiveness in the classroom. Show less